Yuvraj's inconsistency is disappointing

It is not good to have fence sitters. Rather than taking decisions on issues that have immediate as well as long term implications, they try to do the balancing act and, like the International Cricket Council (ICC), succumb to the forces.

In the case of the Champions Trophy, the ICC officials first stuck to the hosts and their supporters in not moving it out of Pakistan. And then, they gave in to the pressure from reluctant teams and players' bodies. The 'Postponement' now looks a euphemism when the deferment is for a year.

At one point, we even had the prospect of seeing mediocre teams in a tournament which brings together just the top eight teams unlike the World Cup that welcomes virtually all and sundry. Thankfully fans were saved the punishment of watching outfits like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe engage in meaningless matches.

The re-scheduling of the tournament to a year which will also see the Twenty20 World Championship is nothing but an avoidable addition to the much crowded ICC calendar. Premier tournaments are of little use if they are not held apart. They should be events which the world looks forward to rather than ponder over which one to watch. The way the FIFA has developed and sold the football World Cup is the way forward if administrators are serious about making cricket a truly universal sport. In fact, the ICC could be better off it scraps the Champions Trophy now that the T20 event has grown in stature.

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